36 Hours: A Percy Jackson Time Travel Adventure
by Dianoga
Summary: Percy,Annabeth and a couple other campers travel back in time.Bad things happen, as usual.Will they make it back before the portal closes forever? Please r&r!
1. The Attack

36 Hours:

A Percy Jackson Time Travel Adventure

**I do not own PJ&tO characters. I do take credit for any other characters that do not appear in the books.**

**Takes place about 1 week after TLO.**

Chapter 1

The Attack

He silently skirted the edge of the clearing, taking great care to stay out of sight. The targets were in the middle, blissfully unaware they were being watched, unaware that any moment now they would be under attack. He moved a few paces to the right to get into position. He was directly behind his target. He rubbed his sweaty palm on his shorts, and then grasped the handle of his weapon. This had to go right the first time; he knew the targets would strike back, quickly and with a vengeance. A duel attack, then run like Hades-that was the plan. It was simple and hopefully effective.

He whistled a bird call-the signal for his partner across the clearing that he was in the ready position. He prepared himself to spring into action as he waited for the response call. His hand opened and closed automatically on the handle of his weapon. There was the response call! And, five, four, three, two, one…

"Ahhhhhh!" He ran out yelling and attacked his target at the same time his partner got to his. They both threw their spent weapons and dashed for the path and off into the woods. They could hear their victims screaming and beginning to mobilize back in the clearing. They had to get away-fast.


	2. Might be Missing Dinner

Chapter 2

Might be Missing Dinner

**So, who was able to guess who were the attackers, and who were the victims? Let's see if you were right!**

**I do not own PJ&tO characters.**

"Awe, what the-man, can't we ever get a moment alone?" Percy said, as he was getting up off the ground. He put his hand on top of his head. It was cold and sticky. "Grrrrooooss."

Annabeth screamed as the thick, red liquid trickled down her face. "Travis! Connor! I'm going to KILL you!"

Percy helped her up, and she leapt over the empty buckets that had once contained the strawberry syrup that was now dripping down his back. She sprinted off in the direction the Stoll brothers went.

"Annabeth, please, they're not worth it!" Percy yelled at her. "We have to get cleaned up before dinner!"

"Not before I turn THEM into strawberry syrup!" He heard he reply off in the distance.

"Man, this is going to be bad. I'll have to keep _her_ off of _them_." Percy muttered to himself. He dashed off in the same direction.

The trail led to the farthest end of camp, and ended in a solid wall of rock. The trees thinned out, and Percy could see Travis and Connor in the distance, and Annabeth gaining on them quickly.

"Hey guys, stop!"

"No way, Perc!" Travis said, laughing and running at the same time. She's going to pulverize us!"

"You bet I will!" Annabeth huffed.

Percy caught up with Annabeth, who was standing at the wall, looking perplexed. "Where did they go?"

"I don't know, but they can't be far-I was right behind them." She scanned the wall, and then quickly dashed over to the left. A jumble of large rocks were piled up and leaning on the wall. She inspected them with a critical eye, and circled slowly around until she was out of sight.

Percy waited a moment, but she didn't come back. He jogged down and went around to the other side of the rocks and found…no one there. Upon closer inspection, he saw a dark opening in the wall that was completely concealed by the rock pile from every direction but this. It was wide enough for him to pass through, but he had to stoop his head so as not to crack his forehead on the rock face. "Annabeth, are you in here?"

"Yeah." He heard her reply echo off the walls.

"Are the Stolls in here?"

"They have to be-there is no other logical place they could have hid from me in such a short time." She replied. Annabeth. Always thinking.

As if on cue, Travis called out from deeper in the cave. "Ah, can we call a truce?"

"Truce! I'm covered in strawberry syrup like a stack of pancakes, and you want a truce? Why should we?" Annabeth yelled.

Percy tried really hard not to laugh at that comment. All sorts of visuals, good and bad, popped into his head. But, he knew she was really angry, and laughing would just get him in trouble, too. Best to just have her angry at the Stoll brothers for the moment.

"'Cause…you guys might want to see this."

All those visuals were instantly replaced by red flags.


	3. We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

Chapter 3

We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

"This isn't another one of your tricks, is it?" Percy called out.

"No." They heard Connor say. "But I can't describe it. Just come further into the cave- there's only one path to follow."

"I'll go first, just in case." said Percy. "Hang on to me, and don't let go."

Percy walked across the dimly lit chamber and put his left hand on the wall. It was lumpy, but not at all sandy or gritty; almost clean feeling, like granite. And, it was unusually cold; stinging his fingers and difficult to keep hold of. Annabeth put her left hand on the wall as well, and hooked her right index finger in Percy's back belt loop. He turned around and looked down at her hand, then flicked his eyes up at her face. "You'll lose your shorts before I lose you, Seaweed Brain." She smiled.

Percy smiled back, then turned around, put his right arm out in front of him, and slowly walked along the wall. By putting his left hand on the wall, he wouldn't get lost or repeat his route. The chamber became darker as they moved away from the opening until it was pitch black and he could no longer see his hand in front of him. He swung his right arm out to the side and hit another wall. "We seem to be in a tunnel now." He said to Annabeth. They were slowly headed to the right. "You guys still there?" He called out.

"Yeah, keep coming."

The tunnel narrowed so that they felt claustrophobic. It twisted to the left, and then turned sharply again to the right, zigzagging back and forth like a fun house maze. The ground remained remarkably free of stones or other obstructions. The wall seemed to be getting warmer the further they moved in. He turned one more sharp corner and saw a faint light around the next bend ahead. They shuffled towards the glow. As they turned the bend, there were the Stolls. Connor stood with his back leaning against one wall inspecting his fingernails, and Travis was facing them and looking lazily at his watch. Both of them had thumb-sized LED flashlights dangling from karabiners on their belt loops. "Took you long enough." Travis said, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Knuckleheads!" Percy said, irritated. "You have flashlights! Why didn't you come back and lead us here?"

"It was more fun this way. Besides, we figured you and Annabeth would want to be alone in the dark." Connor quipped.

Annabeth lunged forward, still not over their last prank, but Percy put his arm out and blocked her forward movement. "Enough!" He said. "What did you want to show us?"

"What do you make of this?" Travis said, moving past Connor. The tunnel made a ninety degree turn to the right. Travis stood at the bend and motioned with his arm. Percy and Annabeth moved next to him and looked ahead. Just then, the brothers turned off their flashlights, but there was still light in the tunnel, it was coming from the rocks themselves. A faint pinkish-gold glow lit the passage and illuminated their faces.

"I've never seen anything like this." Annabeth said as she took the lead down the softly lit space. The walls were warm, and getting warmer and brighter the further they walked. They made one more turn, and were confronted by a blinding light. "Is that the sun?" Annabeth asked. She stepped out of the passage, followed by Percy and the Stolls.

Their eyes adjusted to the bright light. "It certainly is the sun, but this doesn't look like camp." Percy said quietly.

Connor had his mouth hanging open, and was staring in disbelief. Travis whistled low. "Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore."

Percy looked at him quizzically. "Who's Dorothy?"

"The movie- The Wizard of Oz, Percy!" Annabeth sighed. "Honestly, don't you know your pop culture? Anyway, I have to agree with Travis. We're _not_ in Kansas anymore. Nor are we in camp, the state of New York, the United States, or even the twenty-first century."

"Well Wise Girl, don't keep us all in suspense."

"We are somehow in ancient Greece; Athens, to be exact."

*****A/N***Sorry it took so long to update. Please review-even if it's only a "good" or "bad"! Are the chapters too short? do I need more detail? Let me know!**


	4. Getting Our Bearings

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long, it's been busy, just like every one else! Another reason is I've been doing research on Ancient Athens so my story hopefully seems authentic. All locations, including springs and caves,** **existed at the time. Please review and tell me what you think!**

Chapter 4

Getting our Bearings

The four were standing on a steep rocky hillside. The cave behind them practically disappeared into the rock face, and looking up, the hill became steeper until it was a sheer cliff at the top. Directly in front of them were two buildings with red tiled roofs, one much smaller than the other, surrounded by peaceful gardens and fountains. Below that was a long rectangular covered walkway, or stoa, connecting two structures built into the hillside that looked like open air theaters.

The Stolls were looking around, pointing at things and elbowing one another. Annabeth turned slowly from side to side, trying to take in the whole scene. Percy was looking around too, but he looked tense, like a secret service agent, ready to fend off an attack at any moment. "Are you sure this is Athens?" Connor looked at Annabeth.

"Well, if my bearings are right, we are on the south side of the Acropolis. Those buildings-"She pointed to the two square buildings immediately in front of them, "those should be the Sanctuary of Asclepius and Hygeia; a place where the Greeks went to heal. Kind of like a combination overnight doctor's office and spa. That over there," She pointed to the larger theater to her left, "is the Theater of Dionysus Eleuthereus," her finger traced a path to the right, "with the Stoa of Eumenes-or covered walkway-connecting it to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus over there." Her gaze ended on a smaller amphitheater on the right.

Annabeth put her hand over her mouth and grabbed Percy's arm. "Percy," she turned to him, breathless, "we are in ancient Athens! We absolutely have to explore! Can we? Please? I can't possibly leave without seeing the Parthenon!"

"Yeah, come on, Perce, it might be fun!" Travis chimed in.

Percy looked at Annabeth's wide-eyed, expectant face and his resolve melted. "All right, but I'm just letting you know-I have a bad feeling about this."

Connor punched him on the shoulder. "Oh, Percy! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I left it back at the dinner table, which is where we should be right now."

"You're absolutely right, I am kind of hungry." Travis said, rubbing his stomach. "I have a craving for pancakes." Annabeth shot him a look, and he jokingly cowered down. "First things first though, we can't explore the sites looking like this. We have to get some native clothing." He turned to the others. "Hand over your drachmas; I'll pay you back later." Percy and Annabeth gave the Stolls their Greek coins, saving one each for themselves. "Any particular colors or patterns you would like?"

"I don't care; just don't make me look like an idiot." Percy said.

"One village idiot costume, coming right up." Connor said in mock seriousness. "How about you, Annabeth? Ancient greek brainiac? Beauty and the beast? That way, we don't have to get Percy an outfit!"

Percy gave a "Ha ha, funny guys."

"I know-what about Athenian tour guide?"

"Just make sure you get something to cover my hair." Annabeth said.

Travis grinned at her. The strawberry syrup was soaked into her hair, and was beginning to dry, turning her hair pink. "You do give new meaning to the term 'strawberry blonde'."

Annabeth lunged at him and Percy held her back.

"The markets should be over that way." Travis hooked his thumb to the right and back, which was northwest. "We'll be back ASAP. Don't do anything stupid while we're gone!"

"Be careful-don't be seen or get caught." Percy said to their backs.

"Get caught?" Connor turned and said in mock surprise. "We're the sons of Hermes! What could possibly go wrong?" They turned and scrambled down to the path below.

"We're doomed." Said Percy. He sat down on the rocky ground. "You better get down and stay out of sight until we get proper clothing." Percy pulled Annabeth's hand down so she would sit next to him. "These shirts are great for directing traffic, but not for blending in."

"You're right. I just can't believe we're here. I guess I should be asking _why_ are we here, or _how_ did we get here."

"Those would seem to be more appropriate questions. It might be a coincidence, but in my experience, nothing happens without a reason."

"I guess your right. We'll figure it out."

Percy put his arm around Annabeth, pulled her close to him, gave her a hug and put his cheek on top of her head. "Ah, forgot about that." His face was sticky with syrup. He got up and stood still for a moment, then abruptly turned and walked a few paces to the left. There was another cave entrance with a trickle of spring water flowing out and down the hill toward the temples. Percy knelt down by the spring and cupped his hands. Crystal clear water filled them, and he splashed his face. He kept filling and eventually washed his arms, neck and hair. Annabeth watched, a bit envious she did not have this ability. He turned to her. "Your next." He said.

She came over and knelt down beside him. "Cup your hands over the spring." She did as instructed, and he placed his hands under hers. Immediately, her hands filled with icy spring water. She looked up into his face, and found him grinning broadly, his eyes twinkling, clearly quite pleased that he could share this with her. All her envy was washed away and she grinned back at him. She splashed the water on her face as he had done, and the cold made her gasp, but she quickly became accustomed to it. Annabeth took the ponytail holder out of her hair, and Percy helped her by providing a steady stream of water while she scrubbed the sticky mess out. She removed as much as she could. Her hair was still a bit pink, and neither one of them had a comb, so now her hair was dripping wet and tangled.

Percy took off his shirt and handed it to her. "Use this to dry your hair." Annabeth took the tee shirt and quickly began drying, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing. The shirt was warm and smelled like strawberries and sea breezes; an intoxicating scent she was sure would forever be imprinted on her brain. She tried to change the subject before she got carried away. "How did you know…? Never mind, your Percy. Did you know this is the spring in which flows the healing waters of Asclepius? See how it flows down into the temples?"

"So who was this 'as-sleepy-us' guy?" He sat down in the sun as she continued to squeeze her damp hair.

"Asclepius was the god of healing and medicine. He was a son of Apollo. He had six daughters; one of which being Hygeia-the goddess of health, cleanliness, and sanitation; that smaller building is dedicated to her. You might also have heard of and another daughter, Panacea-the goddess of universal remedy. We still use the symbol of Asclepius today in modern medicine; it's a staff with a single entwined serpent- easily confused with Hermes' staff with two snakes."

"Did someone say Hermes? What perfect timing!" Connor spotted the shirtless Percy. "Dude, this is not the time! Here, put this on." He threw a bundle and hit him squarely in the chest.

**A/N Not much happened in this chapter, just some background info. I wanted to make it longer, but I figured it was better to just get something out for you to read.**


	5. It's All Greek to Me

**I know-it's been forever since I updated. For those of you still in school-enjoy yout time. Work means responsibility and real life. 'Nuf said. Enjoy! Please review!**

Chapter 5

It's All Greek to Me

Percy saw that Connor was carrying three more bundles in addition to the one he just threw at him, and curiously enough, Travis' hiking sandals. Travis came up the hill and the reason became immediately evident. He was already dressed in Greek clothing.

"Isn't that the outfit you always see Hermes pictured in?" Asked Percy.

"Right on, bro!" Travis fanned out his brown wool chlamys for them all to see.

"It looks like you pinned a blanket over your shoulder. What do you call that again? A 'claim-it?'"

"A 'claim-is'." Travis replied. This was the garment normally worn by young soldiers and messengers, hence how it became Hermes traditional costume." He said with a deep bow. Then he looked up at Annabeth and took a step towards her. "Usually, this was _all _they would wear." He waggled his eyebrows up and down and threw an exaggerated wink at her.

"Please tell me you have something on under that." She turned her head and covered her eyes.

"Wanna see?" Travis slowly pulled up the corner of the chlamys to reveal his cargo shorts rolled up as far as they would go, and his tee shirt, which he had removed, was neatly folded and tucked into the front of his shorts like a quarterback's towel.

"We all better change before we get seen." Connor said, handing a bundle to Annabeth and one to his brother. "I see you two have recovered from 'Operation FlapJackson'. Annabeth, your hair's still a bit pink." Shifting his bundles, he reached towards her head. She briskly swatted him away.

"Go change, Connor. Preferably into something resembling a human."

"Ouch, wise cracks from the wise girl."

"Come on, before she squashes you like a stinkbug." Percy grabbed his arm and pulled him up to the cave entrance they came from. "FlapJackson? Really?"

"I thought it was clever." Said Connor.

Annabeth sat down and waited for the boys to change. She could hear them talking and laughing, and imagined it's what a boy's locker room must sound like. Travis emerged first, wearing a light brown chiton- a knee length, tunic-like garment- under the dark brown chlamys he had on before. Connor came out next with a light green chiton on, then Percy finally emerged from the cave entrance. His chiton was white, with a wide, red band along the lower hem. He looked just like a Greek hero from the movies. Percy stood with his hands on his hips and looked off into the distance. The wind gently played with his hair and the hem of his clothing. Power and strength radiated from him, he truly did look like a prince of the gods. The Stolls and even Annabeth were quietly gazing at him.

He turned and looked at Annabeth, and smiled. She quickly closed her mouth, and hoped he didn't notice that she was literally gaping at him. Percy held out his hand to her, saying, "You better change if we're going to do anything. Connor left your things just inside."

"Thanks." She replied, blushing yet again, and ducked into the cave entrance.

Annabeth left her modern clothing and shoes neatly bundled next to the boys' just inside the cave. When she emerged, it was Percy's turn to stare open-mouthed. She wore a peplos; a garment similar to the chiton, but longer. It just brushed the tops of her bare feet, and was belted twice around her waist, accentuating her slim figure. It was a pale blue with small purple flowers printed on it. Draped over her head and shoulders was a darker blue himation, a cloak worn by women similar to the chlamys.

Connor wolf-whistled, and Travis howled. Percy pushed both of them, telling them to shut up, and then reached a hand up to Annabeth to help her down the rocky slope in her bare feet. She accepted his hand, then lifted her skirts and they all made their way down the rest of the slope to the path below that led from the Temple of Asclepius to the western side of the Acropolis and into the main part of Athens.

They stopped where the path divided. To the right it went up the hill to the plateau, and the Parthenon; the great temple to Athena. Straight ahead it led to the rest of Athens and the marketplaces.

"So, where to?" Asked Percy of the group.

"I must see the Parthenon. There is no possible way I can leave without going there!" said Annabeth.

"Well," Started Travis, "No offense to you and your mother, but we have no interest. The city is where we belong!" He dramatically swept his arm out to the city below.

"Alright, well, I'll be going with Annabeth-"

"Of course." in unison.

"So I guess we'll split up." Percy said. "We'll meet back here at this spot at say, nine o'clock? That's about an hour after sunset. Do either of you have a watch?"

"No, but after the sun sets, we'll head back here, it shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes to get here from anyplace in the city. See you guys later! This should be fun!"

Annabeth and Percy watched the Stolls continue on down the path and disappear around the corner.

"I still don't feel comfortable about this. We didn't just pop into Athens for an evening of fun. And Travis and Connor make me nervous."

"I'm sure they'll be alright. Come on," Annabeth took his hand. "We're wasting time." And she pulled him on the path up the hill.


End file.
